By Brenda Grass, MD, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Adults and kids with viral infections should stay home from school or work when they have a temperature greater than or equal to 100.4 degrees F. They should stay home until that fever is gone for 24 hours without using a fever reducing medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. They should […]

Written by: Lindsay Dorn, REEGT, RPSGT, Agnesian Center for Sleep Disorders What is sleep hygiene? Sleep hygiene is a variety of different practices that are necessary to have normal, quality nighttime sleep and full daytime alertness. What are some examples of good sleep hygiene? The most important sleep hygiene measure is to maintain a regular […]

By Brenda Grass, MD, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Many common infections have become resistant to antibiotics. As a parent, ask questions to make sure your sick child is getting the best care possible, which might not include an antibiotic. If an antibiotic is not the most effective course of treatment, there are other steps you can take […]

Written by: Katie Voskuil, RT(R), CPhT, Compounding Technician, Agnesian Pharmacy Often times older adults, children with special needs and patients struggling with pain and chronic infections find it difficult to take their medications. Compounding of medications may be the answer. What is medication compounding in layman’s terms? Compounding is making custom medications for patients. Similar to […]

Written by: Brenda Grass, MD, Internal Medicine/Pediatrics Antibiotics are becoming less and less effective, in part due to over-prescription and inappropriate use. Antibiotics aren’t needed for common illnesses, like colds, most sore throats, the flu and even some ear infections. These illnesses are often caused by viruses, which do not respond to antibiotics. Sometimes the […]

Written by: Morgan Bernard, PharmD, RPh, Long-Term Care Supervisor, Agnesian Pharmacy & Prescription Centers With America’s aging population, it’s common for the average person to take four, five, 10 or even more medications daily. It can be easy to mix up bottles, forget to take a medication at the correct time, take an extra pill or […]

Written by: Lindsay Dorn, REEGT, RPSGT, Agnesian Center for Sleep Disorders A sleep disorder is broadly defined as a physical or psychological issue that impairs your ability to sleep or causes increased sleepiness during the day. Everyone can experience sleep concerns from time to time. However, you might have a sleep disorder if: You regularly […]

Written by: Kathy Fett, Director, Agnesian Work & Wellness Believe it or not, daylight savings time will soon be upon us. With daylight savings time, comes darkness and sometimes Seasonsal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression with symptoms starting in fall and continuing through the winter months. Some symptoms of SAD that […]

Sometimes when we decide to change our lives, we have grandiose dreams and unrealistic expectations of ourselves. I often hear this when someone wants to set up an exercise program. They may say, “I used to be a size (x) and I want that again.” We delve deeper into that, and they were a size […]

Written by: Lindsay Dorn, REEGT, RPSGT, Agnesian Center for Sleep Disorders More than 85 percent of mammals are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for […]